


Mamihlapinatapei

by queerwatson



Series: The Lexical Gaps of the English Language [1]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Gen, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-15
Updated: 2012-02-15
Packaged: 2017-10-31 06:05:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/340772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queerwatson/pseuds/queerwatson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time Sherlock mumbles something after they share one of those long, undefined sort of looks they have so often (which, really, maybe John just doesn’t want to define them) John thinks he’s just made an attempt to clear his throat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mamihlapinatapei

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first oneshot in a ten-part series - all of them are independent, and ideally I'll be posting one a day for the next nine days. All of the oneshots will be based on the ten words in [this post.](http://ignoringoblivion.tumblr.com/post/17663648616/specialkrj-morriethegeeky-magicktrance) The drabbles will not be in that order, though. Instead, they'll be in order chronologically. Hope you enjoy!

The first time Sherlock mumbles something after they share one of those long, undefined sort of looks they have so often (which, really, maybe John just doesn’t want to define them) John thinks he’s just made an attempt to clear his throat. He raises an eyebrow when they make eye contact again, but Sherlock just gives him one of those put-upon looks of fake innocence, and John lets it slide because... Well, he just doesn’t feel like dealing with this... This whatever it is, right now.

Next, they’re in a cab on the way to Scotland Yard, and as always when he realizes how long he and Sherlock have been looking at each other, he breaks away, pretending to look out the window. Sherlock murmurs... something... when he does so. John makes out an ‘m’ at the beginning, and loads of consonants that follow, but either what Sherlock said wasn’t in English or it was too fast to follow... probably just something to do with the case. John dismisses it completely.

They’re in the hallway after another chase, the third time. John can’t catch his breath, because when he tries he just starts laughing again, because they keep looking at each other, and he can’t keep a straight face even once Sherlock says it. He knows it’s the same... thing. It sounds less like he’s clearing his throat now, and more like he’s softly repeating the sounds of random letters. If it isn’t random, it’s definitely not English, but John is noting a connection now, and he decides to ask.

“Why do you keep saying that?”

Sherlock gives him that look again. It’s not entirely innocent this time, though - there’s a hint of a smirk in there, somewhere. “It’s relevant, John. That’s all.”

He sighs, chuckles, and starts to head up the stairs. “I don’t even know that it’s a real word, but all right.”

They’re standing over a dead body, then. Well, not right then, the next time it happens. John starts to examine it, after exchanging looks, and Sherlock says it - there’s still not much he can make out since it sounds so much like gibberish - something about a mother and a llama and something all sort of rolled in to one - but Lestrade is in the room this time.

“Sherlock, what on Earth did you just say?”

“Nothing of importance, Lestrade. Nothing to do with the case.”

Well, that doesn’t give John any information he didn’t already have. Not very useful at all. “Well, why do you keep saying it on cases?”

“Last time was after a case, not during. Now, what do you think?”

Sherlock moves them on this time, and by the time he thinks to ask Lestrade for help with how he might spell the godforsaken word so he can type it into a search engine, he knows the detective inspector will already have forgotten all about it.

The last time, they’re sitting in a restaurant, and their waiter is there when he and Sherlock look away from each other to order their food. When Sherlock says it, the waiter chuckles. John takes a moment to figure out how he might know the word - he looks hispanic, but he speaks with a fine British accent so he can’t really have immigrated here, and it’s certainly not Spanish anyhow. He’s trying to puzzle it out when the waiter says:

“You know, most people only know that word. No one speaks Yaghan anymore. My grandmother grew up on the island and she doesn’t speak it.”

Sherlock gave his attempting-to-be-average smile. “Yes, I don’t either, I just think the word applies.”

So it’s a... Yagan?... Word, then.

“All right, what’ll you two be having, then?”

When they get home that night, John takes his laptop up to his room and searches Yagan - an aboriginal warrior? Eventually he realizes the silent ‘h’ and tries again. The search brings him articles about the language... Just to try, he types the letter ‘m’ after the language, and... Well, there it is. It looks how it sounds at least. Mamihlapinatapei. After all this time... Frankly, John’s a bit terrified to read what it means.

It doesn’t seem to bode well that one of the results is talking about romantic but hard to translate words, but John finally clicks a link, and reads aloud the definition.

“A look shared by two people, each wishing that the other will offer something that they both desire but are unwilling to suggest or offer themselves.”

John hums to himself. That’s... Well, it’s not as bad as he thought. He’s not entirely sure he... desires anything from Sherlock more than what they’ve already got, but the definition states that neither is willing to suggest or offer anything yet, and John’s sort of fond of that idea... And he can’t help but think it is a bit fitting, really. Sherlock is just a little too brilliant sometimes.

Okay, so ‘the last time’ wasn’t really the last time... It was only the last time John didn’t know what it meant. It happens again at a crime scene - Anderson and Donovan look confused, and ready to say something stupid, so John cuts them off to keep the moment from being ruined.

“Really is relevant, isn’t it?” he says with a smile.

Sherlock smiles back, a real smile, and they walk out of the room, leaving Anderson saying something about how the alien’s cooked up his own language, now, but John resists the urge to go back and punch him so he doesn’t lose track of Sherlock.

But... Not yet, still. After all, they are on a case. But... maybe. Maybe soon.


End file.
